Shoe-fastener.



W. W. MGGOY.

SHOE FASTBNER.

APPLICATION FILED JAILB, 1913.

1,098,283. Patented Mayz, 1914 @wi/hmmm Sg Y i" j' l @MJ/My@ 11 mm@W-@Mlo 15 j www' WILLIAM W. MCCOY, OF CI-IEI-IALIS, WASHINGTON.

SHOE-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Y Patented May 26, 1914.

Application tied January s, 191s. serial No. 740,030.

T0 all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, VILLIAM WV. McCoy, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chehalis, in the county of Lewis and State of lVashington,have invented new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Fasteners, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a shoe fastener and has for an object toprovide a simply constructed and readily operable fastener, a pluralityof which are used upon shoes to take the place of the ordinary buttonfasteners, s0 as to obviate the use of button-hooks or like instrumentsfor fastening and unfastening slices.

A further object is to provide fasteners of the character describedwhich may be readily operated individually in fastening the shoe iiap inclosed position, and which are adapted to be operatedcollectively inunfastening Athe flap by simply grasping the edge of the flap' at thecentral portion thereof, and moving the same into open position, theedge of the iiap serving as means fo-r actuating the fastening devicesin operation.

A still further object is the provision of fasteners of the classdescribed which are adapted to firmly secure the shoe flap in closedposition and which will retain their engagement with the same withoutdanger of becoming unfastened until properly operated.

The invention consists in the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is al perspective view of a shoe having fasteners constructedin accordance with the invention applied thereto, showing a number ofthe same in operative position. Fig. 2. is a similar view showing theflap of the shoe upper operated to effect collective release of thefasteners; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the shoeupper l and closing flap, showing the fastening device in sideelevation, the same being in inoperative position; Fig. 4t is a similarview showing the fastener in operative position; Fig. 5 is a detailperspective view of the fastening device, showing the same ininoperative position; and, Fig. 6 is a fragmen' fastening devices, whichare adapted to be secured to the shoe upper adjacent the vent openingtherein and which are adapted to secure the closing flap of the shoeupper in closed position somewhat inthe manner of the usual shoe button,but which may be operated without using a shoe buttoner or any suchmanipulating instrument. Each fastening device includes abody portion 2,which is attached to the shoe upper 3, and a movable portion 4, 4whichis in the form of a pivoted lever and which is adapted to engage withinthe eyelet 5, provided in the closing iiap 6 of the shoe upper.

- As shown in the drawing, the body portion 2 of each fastening deviceis constructed from two pieces of sheet metal cut in the desired formand which are fastened together in the manner shown. It is to be furtherunderstood that the movable portion of each device may be constructedfrom any kind of wood, fiber, or the like material and which may begiven some ornamental shape so that the same will present a pleasingappearance.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, it will be seen that thebody portion 2 0f each fastener is provided with suitable openings 7 forthe reception of attaching threads or staples by which the same may besecured to the shoe upper. The said body portion is constructed fromresilient metal and is slotted longitudinally at each side of itscenter, as at 8 and 9 in order to provide a central resilient tongue 10,which latter is bent upwardly prior to the tempering of the metal for apurpose which will be more fully described hereinafter. The other pieceof metal 2a has its side portions 11 attached in suitable manner to theside-arms 12 of the main body portion 2, and is bent so as to .providevertically extending, transversely spaced ears 13 and a limiting crossportion y14. The ears 13 are apertured at 15 for the reception of atransverse pivot pin 16 upon which one end of the movable vportion l ismounted between the said ears. This movable portion lis in the form of alever having a locking abutment 17 formed on its piv-r 4. The ears 13are provided with notches 182l in their inner edges providing theshoulders 18b for engagement with the outer face of the shoe flapadjacent the outer edge of one of the eyelets therein, when the locleing tongue is in its operative, engaging position, so that the shoe flapwill be further prevented from accidentally forcing the locking tongueoutwardly into inoperative position, under ordinary conditions. Inmoving the locking tongue into inoperative position, upon the necessaryapplication of force thereto, the locking abutment 17 will force theedge of the flap eyelet out of engagement with the said shoulders 18h.

In fastening a shoe having fasteners of the class described, the movableportions of the devices, or locking tongues, as they might be termed,are swung' inwardly so as to b-e held at the proper inclination by thelimiting cross portions lil of the body pertions of the said devices,and the tongues are inserted within the flap eyelets successively fromthe lower portion of the flap and are swung outwardly in similar orderso as to bring' the outer edge 19 of each eyelet into engagement withthe active face 18 of each abutment 17, the inner face Q0 of eachtongue, or movable portion It being in engagement with the outer face ofthe fiap 6 after the device is brought into its operative position.vtVhen the fastening tongue is in operative position, the ears 13 andthe cross portion 14, as well as the abutment 17 will be disposed withinthe eyelet 5, and the firm engagement of the above described edge ofeach eyelet with the active face 18 of the abutment 17 will aid thespring tongues 10 in preventing movement of the locking tongues l intoinoperative position, so that engagement of any of the locking tongueswith obstructions will not ordinarily cause unfastening of the saine.

As shown in Fig. 2, in order to unfasten the closing flap of the shoe,it is merely necessary to Grasp the same at its very edge and centrallythereof, and to force the saine outwardly. Such action will causeengagement of the outer edge of the flap with the ends of the lockingtongues, thus causing the same to be simultaneously swung intoinoperative position, upon the application of sufticient force to theshoe iap. it will thus be seen that the closing flap of the shoe may beunfastened by a single operation, which cannot be accomplished Vin theuse of the ordinary form of button fastener.

From the foregoing'description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, it will appear that l have provided a shoe fastening devicewhich is so simply construot ed as to be cheap in the cost ofmanufacture, and which-will be very eiiicient in operation, and durable.It should be apparent, that, in using a plurality of these fasteningdevices on a shoe, operation of the closing flap of the same will begreatly facilitated, and that the common annoyance incident with the useof button hooks and such devices will be entirely obviated.

That is claimed is:

A fastening device including a flat body portion constructed ofresilient material, the said body being provided with a. pair ofparallel slots opening through one edge thereof, a yieldable tonguebeing formed between the said slots, a pair of lugs secured to the underface of the said body and being projected upwardly through the saidslots so as to be disposed on opposite sides of the resilient tongue inparallel relation to each other, the said lugs being provided adjacentto the upper face of the body with transversely alining notches formingrectangular shoulders, a locking tongue having one end pivotally mountedbetween the said lugs and being adapted to have its inner face flushwith the said shoulders when in its operative position, and an engagingabutment formed on the inner face of the said locking tongue at thepivoted end thereof for engagement with the said resilient tongue, thesaid abutment being equal in width to the lugs and adapted to ll thespace therebetween.

In testimony whereof aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VLLIAM Vil. MGCOY.

Witnesses ALBERT SorrooLnY, EDWARD DnGGLEr..

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

